We bellowed with Byrne in the shotgun shack—
triple-decker, third floor, to be exact.
Miller Light, Winstons, 1981—
best song we’d ever heard—again and again.
Mack was the man then. Lured me to my feet.
Nuzzle. Whirl. We swayed to the beat.
Drifted on water flowing under stones.
Woke up years later in our beautiful home.
Three kids, two dogs, and Mack’s making it big.
And the days go by and I’m dying for a thrill.
Drive to the sea alone. This large car’s really mine?
Strip. Oh yes, I’m still a beautiful wife.
Walk on September rocks still hot with August.
Time holds. I embrace my sometimes lover.
Sun on stone, silent water flowing under.
Here comes a twister! Same as it ever was.
I dive in and stroke—Am I right? Am I wrong?
Into the blue again. My God, what have I done?
/////
Mary Beth Hines is a frequent contributor to Lightwood. Read more of her poems and reviews by going to our Search Button and inserting her name.
Mary Beth Hines writes from her home in Massachusetts. A Pushcart nominee in both poetry and fiction, she is an alumna of the Colrain Manuscript Conference and a recipient of an Assets for Artists workshop residency at the Studios at MASS MoCA. Her work can be found in journals such as Brilliant Flash Fiction, Slant, Tar River, and Valparaiso as well as in Lightwood. Kelsay Books published her debut collection “Winter at a Summer House” in 2021. Her chapbooks were finalists in Fool for Poetry’s 2023 International Chapbook Competition and Comstock Review’s Jessie Bryce Niles 2023 Chapbook competition. Visit her at http://www.marybethhines.com.
Lightwood 